[EXPAT VOICE] All roads lead to Turkish

Three weeks ago, I came to Ankara to continue my Turkish language studies at Ankara University's TÖMER program. Certainly, I expected to pick up much more Turkish in the class, but I didn't expect to see so much diversity.

Nearly everyone is in their mid-twenties except Nye, a retired British expat who has spent many of his years (he won't reveal how long) living and working in Turkey. When asked by our instructor on the first day how he managed so long without learning any Turkish, he replied, “I'm a good Englishman.” The youngest members of our class are a pair of mischievous 15-year-old twins from Kazakhstan who almost always seem to be in sync with each other, from answering questions in unison to leaning against the wall and falling asleep together in just the same manner.

There is another group of siblings in the class, three Americans from Seattle. From ages 15 to 19, they've spent almost all of their summers in Turkey with their American mother and Turkish father. I originally met them while lost amidst the crammed registration room during the first day. They had originally been placed by their father in a much higher level, but eventually ended up in the basic class with us several days later.

Two other students came to the class because of husband-related needs. One of them, an energetic Bosnian woman in her late twenties, moved to Turkey for her husband's new job as a television translator. The other woman, a soft-spoken Afghani, is actually trying to learn English in Turkey while she waits for a visa to the US in order to rejoin her Turkish husband. However, English is only taught in Turkish, so she's taking our class first.

Several of my classmates have taken a giant leap with few safety nets in coming to Turkey. As an American living for the next year on a government-sponsored Fulbright grant, I know that I have a lot of resources available. But, that's not the case for everybody. I think particularly of one young woman in her mid-twenties from Iran. During class breaks, she tells us about her longing to return to Iran, and why, for personal reasons, she can't go back at the moment. Even though I lived in Boston, a city with an outstandingly mixed population, I've met few Iranians. I've met even less that have lived there within the last five years, so it was refreshing to hear from a recent expat.

Filling out the rest of the class are four foreign students from Pakistan, Libya, Syria and Hong Kong. The three Middle Eastern students are studying various subjects at Turkish universities. Although their instructors speak English, they felt it was time to try and learn some Turkish. Meanwhile, Ivory, from Hong Kong, is visiting for the summer as a part of her Turkish studies program in Taiwan.

Looking out at the class, it's quite amazing to see how Turkey has brought us together from all over the world. Together, we stumble through Turkish vowel harmony as we try to get our tongues around phrases like “Ben burada oturuyorum.” Amidst the incredibly welcoming but still foreign world outside, a world we hope to become better acquainted with by improving our Turkish. By practicing in our friendly group, we've stepped out of our shells, dared to speak more Turkish and strengthened our resolve.

“With almost all of us knowing some English,” said Nye, “I think we've really been able to become quite a joined up group.”

Meanwhile, our instructor and her seemingly limitless amount of patience for us has been a saving grace. She continues to smile and encourage us, even while we struggle and sometimes wreak havoc with the intricacies of her native language. While constantly keeping a positive attitude, and often indulging us, by straying from the lesson at hand, and leading a conversation, in Turkish, about movies, music or our curiosities about each other's countries instead.

Some of my classmates can't help but be drawn in by the class.

“I never planned on studying in Turkey; it wasn't even on my list,” said Ivory from Hong Kong, “It was like fate.”